Along with Gail Ross MSP we invite you to join us at the Scottish Parliament to hear the results of our feasibility study research and speakers from successful land trusts in Europe.

Research for our study revealed that hundreds of people are actively looking for farmland in Scotland, and are motivated by looking after the environment and developing rural livelihoods. However, access to land is a critical barrier. A lack of access to land is preventing people from making a sustainable livelihood from the land and something practical needs to be done!

We think that thing is a Scottish Farm Land Trust. According to Scotland's Land Reform Act, we are working for 'a Scotland where the ownership, management and use of land and buildings contributes to the collective benefit of everybody’. A land trust could help facilitate a transformation of how we use our land, and support farming in Scotland that provides nutritious food for local people, sustains rural communities, contributes to healthy ecosystem and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.On 27th September, we’ll be joined by speakers who have successfully established land trusts in Europe, and local farmers who are farming for social and environmental benefit. You’ll also be able to pick up a copy of our forthcoming report 'Wanted: Land for New Farmers' which puts forward the case for a land trust in Scotland to increase access to land for ecological agriculture.To register please visit: landfornewfarmers.eventbrite.co.uk

This survey is for people and organisations who currently own farm land in Scotland. We want to find out what farm land is out there, what it is used for and what landowners think of our ideas. Please help us to increase access to land for ecological agriculture by giving us your thoughts. Whether you agree with our ideas of not, landowners we want to here from you!

In April, we launched a survey to find out more about who is looking for land in Scotland. (It’s still open! See below).

We’ve been astounded by the response to the survey, with over 1,200 filling it in. We clearly have a large contingent of passionate and dedicated people who would like to farm in Scotland, but are held back by the inaccessibility of land and prohibitive costs of starting a farm.

In June, we will be holding meetings around Scotland. These events will be an opportunity to find out more about the Scottish Farm Land Trust, inform the development of the organisation, and get involved if you would like to. The events will also be a chance to share more about your situation, and feed in to the Scottish Farm Land Trust’s report on access to land, small-scale farming, and supporting ecological agriculture in Scotland.

Mon 19th June, Edinburgh: Quaker Meeting House, 6-8.30pm

Sat 24th June, North-east: Tangleha, near St Cyrus, 2-4.30pm

Mon 26th June, Inverness: Glachbeg on the Black Isle, 6-8.30pm

Please get in touch with Bella - bella@nourishscotland.org.uk, 0131 2261497, if you are interested in attending, or if you cannot attend an event, but would like to be involved.

Looking for farm land in Scotland? We want to hear from you.​The Scottish Farm Land Trust (SFLT), in collaboration with Nourish Scotland, is undertaking a survey to find out who is looking for land in Scotland and what they want for it. Click here to fill out the survey.

Our aim is to increase access to land for ecological agriculture, and we want to build SFLT as an organisation led by small-scale farmers, growers and new entrants.

Fill out our survey to tell us if you have ever been looking for land, what you would do with it, what you think of our aims and what challenges you have faced. We want to hear from everyone who has even thought about looking for farmland so please pass this email on. We will use the survey results to inform the development and strategy of SFLT, as an organisation to support new entrants and sustainable food production in Scotland.

Thanks for helping out and let us know if you want to get involved. Get in touch via contact@scottishfarmland.org

As you may be aware, we are due to start our feasibility study in December. We have chosen to team up with Nourish Scotland to carry out the study. Nourish are taking action at both the grass-roots level and the national legislative level of the food movement and have broad expertise in the food system, including access to land in Scotland. We are excited to be working with an organisation so passionate about ecological agriculture and changing how food is produced.

Over the coming weeks we will be working on exactly how the feasibility study will take shape, and when we do, we’ll let you know how you can take part.

In other news, we will be travelling to Germany in January as part of European knowledge-sharing project on access to land for ecological agriculture. We will be learning from organisations who have been in the business for years.